<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.6002.18100" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"
bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7><FONT id=role_document
face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>
<DIV>Last November I had my DNA tested with 23andme.com. I had never felt (as a
female) that there was much value for me in being tested for mtDNA only because
I know so little about my straight maternal line other than that they came over
from Northern Ireland in 1852. Yes, I have a few surnames but not far enough
back to really be able to compare with anyone and learn anything meaningful. In
any case, it never really interested me to learn ONLY about this one tiny sliver
of my ancestry. I wanted to learn about the whole enchilada! Plus I knew I would
at least learn some medical information by being tested with 23andme. </DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>I was pleased at the time with all the information I got from the test.
Learning I was a fast metabolizer of caffeine and could probably safely drink
all the coffee I wanted without harm (and possibly with benefit) was worth it in
and of itself. &lt;g&gt;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>But alas, I digress...what I wanted to post about is a new beta tool
introduced this week by 23andme that is nothing short of astounding for
genealogists!&nbsp; Until now, we mostly could only learn about mtDNA for
everyone&nbsp;and Y-DNA for males (or if you had a male relative who fit the
bill and would be tested). Since 23andme tests the entire human genome (not all
genes obviously, but the most important ones in their judgment) there is a lot
of X and autosomal DNA information in our files. Since autosomal DNA doesn't
tell you which parent it came from it wasn't considered all that helpful (by
current standards) for genealogical purposes other than to help pinpoint
ethnicity to some extent. </DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>However, the new beta Relative Finder using a new improved algorithm could
possibly be about to blow the lid off autosomal and X genealogical matching. A
couple days ago I set my account privacy settings to allow others using the beta
tool to contact me and so did some others who have been tested with 23andme.
</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>I scrolled through my list of people who were identified by the tool as
being anywhere from a 3rd cousin to a "distant cousin."&nbsp; I think they draw
the line at about the 10th cousinship as being "distant." It looks like anything
up to 5th cousins they consider close. they give you a probable relationship and
a range,&nbsp;and tell you how many segments you share with another person. At
the top of my matching list was a male in the US who matched a total of 1.03% of
my total DNA. We shared two matching segments and were identified as probable
3rd cousins with the range being 3rd to 5th cousins. </DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>We contacted each other and compared family histories and guess what? The
relative finder was dead on! We are 3rd cousins. Our great-grandmothers are
sisters. Now, keep in mind that this is a match that would NEVER have been made
by Y or mtDNA testing...his mother's father's mother and my father's mother's
mother are the sisters. There would be no shared mtDNA nor Y DNA. </DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Now that we've compared our data what we share is a mind-boggling match on
the X chromosome--through his mother (his only X)&nbsp;and my X
inherited&nbsp;from my father. our match on this chromosome is greater than
90%!&nbsp; To top it off, his mother is still living and she's now going to be
tested and we will compare. She is my 2nd cousin once removed.&nbsp; We also
share a substantial segment on chromosome 2 and have inherited similar traits
that are carried on chromosome 2--endurance to name one. </DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>I have another person I match with .78% of my total DNA and with whom I
share FIVE matching segments and who is identified by the Relative Finder as
being a probable 3rd cousin and no further back than 4th. So far, this person
hasn't opted to join the beta test group but&nbsp;he (also a male in the
US)&nbsp;is ALSO listed as a close cousin for the cousin I have made contact
with--and so is possibly from the same branch of the family.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Joan&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>